Review

The episode gets off to an explosive start with Constance answering the door of Murder House way back in 1994, to be confronted by a SWAT team wanting to know if Tate might be at home. We flash back to earlier when a normal day at Westfield High is shattered by a Student with guns doing a Columbine. No prizes for guessing who the gun toting Student is. He finishes in the library carefully executing each of the students hiding there. Back at Murder house the SWAT team confronts Tate in his bedroom with Constance screaming in the background.

In the present Violet learns about the 1994 massacre and also learns from Constance and medium Billie Dean that Tate is a ghost who doesn't realise he's dead. Violet freaks out, and is not help back at Murder House when she runs into a full complement of ghosts in the basement, she tries to commit suicide via razor blade but isn't up to it. Later she'll try with a bunch of sleeping pills she got from Leah, "the devil is real", but is apparently saved by the intervention of Tate.

Meanwhile Ben, who has been given the arse, continues to see clients at Murder House, including Derek who is petrified of an urban legend about a dude wearing a pig mask who slaughters those who call on him. Vivien is having pregnancy issues and tracks down the Doctor who fainted at what she saw on the ultrasound. We learn that ultrasound chick quit her job and is now hanging at churches were she feels safe, she goes old world testament on Vivien and we're left wondering exactly what is gestating in Vivien's womb. Okay think I've covered it all, if not check the episode and fill in the blanks.

The show has definitely found it's voice and is getting better episode by episode.

The Harmon women are both having waking nightmares in this episode and for entirely different reasons though I would point out it's probably the House working on them. Vivian is concerned about her pregnancy following a nightmare that reminds us that what she is carrying may not be entirely human, this is of course reinforced by the Doctor who conducted the ultrasound and who now hangs out in a local church in fear of what she saw, was it the Anti-Christ? So we could be talking a Rosemary's Baby situation here, how further off the wall can this show go! Conversely Violet is getting a crash course in Murder House as ghost central, she meets most of the inmates and I've got a feeling the asylum is about ready to blow it's top, talk about your 13 Ghosts. Of course Violet does attempt suicide, and although Tate apparently saves her life I have my doubts, this being Murder House anything is possible and we may have another earthbound spirit that doesn't realise it's dead. Interestingly, for those of us that worry about this sort of thing, Vivian and Ben are so caught up in their own concerns they aren't noticing the impact those concerns are having on their daughter.

Actually good enough sequeway into Ben's latest patient Derek, who has a depilating fear of an urban legend about a pig slaughter who when summoned, via repeating "piggy piggy piggy" in a mirror three times, will slaughter the hapless summoner and leave them hung up and draining over the bath. Just in case we have qualms about this urban legend being a rip on others Ben runs down a list of the common ones to put it into perspective. Naturally Ben decides some remedial treatment in a dark and closed Murder House bathroom will help, and naturally one of the ghosts decides that is too tempting a target not to have a bit of fun with. I'm still trying to work out where in the complex that is American Horror Story the sojourn into Planet Derek fits, clearly it's not a random insert, but haven't quite pinned down the reason for the inclusion at the moment.

While the various Harmons are going through their individual dramatic moments, including Ben coming to terms with the separation, Constance drifts in and out with some pretty traumatic and I got to say tragic moments of her own. Addie was of course killed by a hit and run driver and Constance shows she hasn't come to terms with the death of her daughter, or in fact her treatment of her daughter yet. Billie Dean, who can talk to dead people, can offer some solace to Constance, Addie is finally a "pretty girl" apparently. Then of course there is the whole Tate situation, and his background as emo gunman, Constance was hoping through Ben that Tate could find a final rest, or at least recognise he didn't make it out of his bedroom back in 1994. Violet has thrown a spanner into the works there, and we wait to see where that might head.

In one of those strange interludes American Horror Story throws up and then adds a dark meaning to, Constance is bring Vivian raw offal, as it should help both mother and unborn foetus apparently. I would be somewhat dubious if I was Vivian when it comes to raw brain, even if it's from an organic farm. Constance makes a passing reference to needing a new child in the house, which might be a throwaway line or which might have some darker meaning. Given the history of this house, a few more inhabitants might have an interest as well.

As promised a catch up on all the ghosts inhabiting the house, there's a fair amount of them. Tate naturally, though he seems to be helping the Harmon's rather than threatening them overtly. Our favourite maid Moira O'Hara, who seems to be a fixture with no overriding agenda, jury still out there. Recent addition Hayden, who has all the hallmarks of going revenant on us. Of course there's the two ginger twins are really only causing mischief rather than being dark forces, and I guess the three home invaders. Which reminds me add the two nurses to the list, think they have made a repeat appearance this season, may be wrong. The gay couple, and finally the Doctor and his socialite wife, who add some screwed up medical alternatives to the mix. Think I've got the whole gang here; no doubt there are a few more guests due to make an appearance in the second half of the season. I've still got my fingers crossed that we'll get Nazi Werewolves. I'm not including Larry here as he has made appearances outside the house which would break the mythology built up over five or so hours of television content.

Piggy Piggy bounced back from the last episode, Halloween Part 2, to score 2.83 million viewers in North America, taking a sizeable chunk of FX's audience rating in the process. Strangely dark and sexy horror is scoring very well on cable in the U.S, pity Boredwood are about a decade behind the development.

The episode confirmed I'll be staying with the show right to the bitter end, approximately six more weeks. There's solid drama, great performances, and some of the best horror hors d'oeuvre served up to whet for our appetite in quite some time. The show could have gone off the rails but if anything is improving episode by episode, full recommendation, this is what horror is all about.

ScaryMinds Rates this episode as ...